HTC Droid DNA from Verizon Wireless Is a 5-Inch Brand Refresher

Droid DNA by HTC

The Droid DNA, like the rest of HTC's Droid franchise, will be exclusive to Verizon Wireless, at least through the holidays. It features a 5-inch display with 440ppi, a quad-core processor, and brag-worthy camera and audio features. It measures 5.5 by 2.78 by 0.38 inches and weighs 4.9 ounces.

Verizon Wireless and smartphone maker HTC introduced the Droid DNA at a New York City event Nov. 13, calling it the "most advanced phone on the market." The DNA runs Android "Jelly Bean," HTC's Sense 4+ user interface and a quad-core Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm that officials said is 2.5 times better than any other quad-core chip on the market. While the Droid DNA also features a 5-inch full high-definition 1080p super LCD 3 screen with 440 pixels per inch (ppi), the highest pixel density now on a smartphone, HTC Design Director Jonah Becker insisted that the DNA is a smartphone, not a phablet—the half-phone-half-tablet moniker given to devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note II, which features a 5.5-inch display. Despite the display size, said Becker, HTC has minimized the rest of the phone to be "extremely slim" so you can still "hold it in one hand or slip it into your pocket." Using techniques like a new pyramid-style architecture for the device's internals, Becker said HTC was able to give the DNA "virtually the same" physical profile as the One X, with its 4.7-inch display. The DNA is now available for preorder and will go on sale Nov. 21 for $199 with a two-year contract. "It's truly the pinnacle of the Droid brand," Becker said.